MOD-t 3D Printer Raises Over $180K on Day One of Crowdfunding

Comparison Chart of Competition Promotes MOD-t Advantage.

New Matter, Inc. is breaking down barriers to widespread adoption of 3D printers for home use. On Wednesday (May 28), the company launched a 35-day crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to accept pre-orders for its new 3D printer, the MOD-t. With high-quality hardware, easy-to-use software and a starting price of only $149, the product is truly a mass-market 3D printing solution.

Co-founder and president of New Matter Steve Schell stated, “We’re entering an exciting time where more and more people are being inspired by the possibilities of using 3D printing customize the world around them. To truly make 3D accessible to everyone, we had to create a unified hardware and software experience that encourages people to explore and share their creations. We feel the MOD-t print is a leap forward in the 3D printing space, and we’re excited to introduced it to 3D printing enthusiasts and novices alike.”

New Matter partnered with frogVentures, the investment arm of global produce strategy and design, to create a cohesive, intuitive and satisfying user experience. frog’s interdisciplinary team of researchers, strategists, designers and technologists worked closely with New Matter to co-develop the company’s experience strategy and design – from branding and identity to the design of the printer, marketplace and app.

VP of Venture Desgin at frog Ethan Imboden noted, “3D printing promises a magical interaction – with the press of a button, you can turn intangible ideas into physical objects. This has been an essential technology for designs and engineers for decades but, without a robust ecosystem of easy to share designs, 3D printing had yet to deliver on its promise for mainstream consumers. In our work with New Matter, we’ve focused on crafting a product ecosystem that moves beyond the basics of ‘ease of use’ to make 3D printing both relevant and delightful for anyone.”

New Matter is the latest company from Idealab, a creator and operator of technology companies that has started more than 125 companies since 1996, resulting in more than 40 IPOs and acquisitions. The New Matter team is made up of veterans from the 3D printing and design industry, and is backed by leading venture capital firsts First Round Capital and Alsop Louie, with additional investments from Idealab, frogVentures, Biotechonomy and angel investors Scott Banister.

Founder of Idealab and co-founder of New Matter Bill Gross added, “ My dream is for a 3D printer in every home and in every classroom. The potential for transforming both manufacturing and education is unfathomable, and the MOD-t is the firing shot to enable this revolutionary change.”

Through clever mechanical engineering and with high-volume manufacturing in mind, New Matter has significantly reduced the cost to product the MOD-t 3D printer. Key features of the printer include built-in WiFi; prints in safe, environmentally-friendly Polylactic Acid (PLA) plastic; print speeds of 80mm per second; layer resolution selectable from 0.2 to 0.4mm; maximum object size of 4 x 6 x 5 inches.

New Matter utilizes high-volume manufacturing processes in order to reduce the overall product cost of the MOD-t design. To further ensure a smooth path to production, the company has partnered with Dragon Innovation, which specializes in bringing hardware products to market and has worked on some of the most successful hardware, crowdfunding campaigns. After rigorous review and analysis, the MOD-t has earned the “Dragon Certified” designation, indicating the MOD-t is manufacturing-ready.

Just hours after it began, the campaign zoomed to over 50% of its $375,000 goal as backers rushed to support this project. At the conclusion of the campaign on July 2nd, New Matter will also launch an integrated marketplace for exchanging printable designs, providing an “Etsy meets iTunes”-like opportunity for designers and artists.

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